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[arclightning]

MAKO'S INBOX

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[shiro2hero]

I'm okay. Promise.

Were you there for Cynthia taking Mother Superior down? What she said to her - "May you know Mercy".

And... "you will be reborn." Like we were, when we woke up here.

[arclightning]

I wasn't there, but that makes a lot of sense for the theory I've been working on. You think they're the same, right?

[shiro2hero]

Yeah, I do.

It also tracks with the “hex” from last month. People wanting to punish themselves for the smallest things. Sounds a lot like when she put people on “trial” back in Deerington.

[arclightning]

You told me about that.

[ He wasn't there for it, but he remembers the anger in Shiro's voice, burning clear and bright on his face. This is bad. This is very bad. ]

Sure I don't need to tell you this, but if someone's reformed for real, they usually don't go around talking about how merciful and just and amazing they suddenly are.

She's after something. She has to be.

[shiro2hero]

Yeah, no kidding. Especially when they have her track record. She'd talk like that occasionally, too, back in Deerington. When she wasn't telling us how worthless we were.

I talked to Ruby, too. She suggested trying to reach the other Patrons about this...

... I think we should try Cynthia.

[arclightning]

Is she a patron? I can't find anything in the archives that says she is, but she's helped us out before. It's a good call.

I don't think we should try and contact all of them. Some of them have a record of being pretty anti-Sleeper.

[shiro2hero]

No, I don't think she is. She's... a lot more 'present' than the others are, too. Last month she was at the shore fairly often - and I think I hear her this month...

[Or he's going crazy.]

Okay, good point. I want to say it seems Doorway at least doesn't dislike us. Otherwise, it'd be strange for them to be there for all the bonding.

[arclightning]

I'd put money on Doorway, yeah. They gave me this sword.

[ Which he absolutely snaps a picture of for Shiro. ]

You think this is pressing? You think she's going to try something sooner that we need to head off?

[shiro2hero]

Yeah, they gave me one too. Right on my birthday, actually. Looks just like that one.

I don't know. Right now, she probably thinks we're fooled, or at least, don't know who she is. Maybe that hex was just the first step.

[arclightning]

What do you think about keeping it that way? Letting her think she's fooling us?

Hear me out.

The less she knows about what we're planning, the easier it'll be to take her by surprise. Wasn't her whole thing back in the dream that she'd seen through all of us and knew what we "really" were? She likes to think she knows everything and that she's above us. If we let her think that, we can get away with a lot more.

[shiro2hero]

Surprise attack. Or whatever it is we end up doing. And we're not in Julia's world this time - there's no way for her to "see" us here like she could there.

[Or, at least, she always seemed to be able to observe them.]

Yeah. Yeah, I think you're onto something.

Ruby suggested meeting with someone who understands rituals. See if there's any way to contact the other Patrons. Maybe they know more about her than we can find on our own.

Cynthia, especially.

[arclightning]

Either we ask a local or we do our own research. I'll look in the archives. Had to research a bunch of stuff for the bond and I think I got an idea of where to look. How much time do we have?

[shiro2hero]

I could try the local volunteers at Koz's place.

Timeframe... I don't know. Like you said, she doesn't know we're onto her. I'd say maybe we need to put things in motion before October. That's her month.

1 / 2

[arclightning]

That's plenty of time. I'll write up a list of things we need to do.

2 / 2, a couple hours later

[arclightning]

Did some research. There's different rituals for different outcomes. If we want to talk to the patrons, that's a different thing than asking them to do something for us.

[shiro2hero]

'Plenty of time' - don't jinx it.

[He'll wait, and... probably doze, to be honest. Stupid warmblood weakness this month. But he's awake as soon as his omni goes off.]

And we can't combine them? Kill two tasks with one ritual?

[arclightning]

We might be able to, but this is pretty heavy magic, so we'd need to get it right. Seems like having one of every blood type is a necessity, and the more Patrons we all have, the better.

[shiro2hero]

Every blood type?

Even the one that doesn't do anything?

[arclightning]

Yeah, all five.

You talking about warmblood?

[shiro2hero]

Yeah.

If there's anything this stuff does, they left me out of it. So I'm not sure how much help it'll be.

[Mental link]

[saltyadam]

I'm sorry, say that again?

[Mental link]

[shiro2hero]

[SHIT]

[arclightning]

It's still Sleeper blood, so it's still useful for whichever ritual we end up doing.

You really think you got left out?

[shiro2hero]

Well

I can't make lava with my bare hands. Or... read emotions with a touch.

So, sort of, I guess.

[arclightning]

If that's your bar for success then you're gonna fail every time. Isn't it good that your blood didn't completely turn on you?